The LA Lakers once had two of the best value point guards of the league on their team, Jeremy Lin and Jordan Clarkson. It was clear which one they kept, but did they make the right choice?
Both players cashed in this summer, taking on long-term contracts, Lin with the Brooklyn Nets and Clarkson with the Lakers. The Lakers believe that Clarkson will have a breakout season this year, right after the Lakers offered him a megabuck deal that affirmed their belief in him.
It should be recalled that there were qualms about Clarkson's place with the team when the Lakers opted to draft D'Angelo Russell with the no.2 pick over Jahlil Okafor and Kristaps Porzingis when they clearly needed a big man. Rumors swirled on how the Lakers aren't sold on the Filipino-American in the long-term, even talks of possible trades.
Now, those talks have been silenced with the $50 million contract that will keep him with the Lakers for the next four years. Lakers Nation said Clarkson will be a beast this year.
"No one should be surprised if it is Clarkson who quietly leads the team in scoring this next season and proves to be the player the team relies on in key moments. To the rest of the league, watch out for Jordan Clarkson who is likely to make great strides this next season," Hannah Kulik of LN said.
However, Jeremy Lin also had his big break as he is poised to lead the Brooklyn Nets. He will be working with his former mentor in New York Knicks, Kenny Atkinson, who has been promoted as head coach. Lin got a 36 million three year contract of his own.
The two Asian-Americans will both figure in bigger roles for their respective teams who are both on the rebuilding stage but Lin has an edge because he will likely get a starting nod. Lin has paid his dues as a reserve point guard, even excelling in that role with the Charlotte Hornets.
Now that he's a starter, he can show the basketball world just how what he can do. Will he outperform Clarkson?
Lin told JJ Redick in The Vertical (h/t Nets Daily) about why he chose to sign with the Nets.
"I heard the vision that Sean Marks had and I felt like, for me, I wanted to see what I could do as a starter and what I could do with a bigger roles and they were giving me that opportunity. So it felt like it was a good choice for me."
Clarkson and Lin never had a problem with their relationship as teammates but as both players reach a pivotal point in their career, one can't help but compare them.
This will be another interesting sidelight to the season and the Lakers, who had the choice between both players, hope they don't have reason to regret.